Torque balancing of jet propulsion turbine plant



Feb. 25, 194 7.

F. A. M. HEPPNER ET AL TORQUE BALANCING OF JET PROPULSION TURBINE PLANT Filed July 20, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet l Feb-25,1941 I F. A. M. HEPPNER 'ETAL 2,416,389

TORQUE BALANCING OF JET PROPULSION TURBINE PLANT Filed July 20, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 25, 1947.

F. A. M. HEPPNER ET AL TORQUE BALANCING OF JET PROPULSION TURBINE PLANT Filed July 20, 1943 4 SheetsSheet- 3 1947. I F. A. M. HEPPNER ETAL 2,416,339

TORQUE BALANCING OF JET PROPULSION TURBINE PLANT Filed July 20, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Feb. 25, 1947 Fritz Albert Max Heppner, Leamington Spa, and John Denis Voce and David Rhys Evans, Coventry, England, assignors to Armstrong Siddeley Motors Limited, Coventry, England Application July 20, 1943, Serial No. 495,525

In Great Britain June 1'],

(Cl. (ilk-35.6)

Claims. 1

This invention relates to an internal-combus tion turbine plant for jet-propulsion purposes.

As is well understood, such plant includes a compressor, a combustion chamber in which the compressed air is mixed with fuel-and ignited, and a turbine driven by the burning gases and driving-the compressor. the turbine exhaust forming the propulsion jet. I I

It is our main object to arrange for the more efllcient operation of such a plant.

For a full understanding of this and other ob jects and advantages attention should be directed to the following description in which reference is made to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary sectional elevation through an internal-combustion turbine jetpropulsion unit adapted according to the inventon, the compressor being a three-stage axialflow one;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevation of the diffuser blades of Figure l, to which reference is made hereinafter;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section taken mainly on the line IIIIII of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a part-sectional elevation of another form of unit adapted according to the invention, in which the compressor is a simple axial-flow one.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a section on line Ii-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a section on line '|--I of Fig, 1;

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8--8 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 4.

According to the invention, the unit has a shell carrying internally some of the. turbine blades and rotating in the opposite direction to that of a. rotor which carries some of the compressor blades (within the shell) or other of the turbine blades (within the shell), and the shell drives external blades coacting with stationary blades by reaction from stationary blades coacting directly or indirectly with the shellcarried internal turbine blades, the said coacting external and stationary blades compressing air which is delivered to increase the propulsion jet constituted by the turbine exhaust.

In the construction of Figures 1, 2 and 3'there is a stationary casing II surrounding the unit. The latter comprises a, main rotor shaft I2 carrying a set of turbine blades I3, and also sets of blades I4 of the third part of the compressor. Coacting with these latter blades are sets of external blades I5 of the third part of the compressor, such blades being mounted internally of a rotating shell I6. The latter also carries in- .ternally sets of turbine blades ll, I8, and at the other end itcarries internally sets of blades- I! or the second part of the compressor, such blades coactng with sets of blades 2| mounted externally 01' a rotor 22 Journalled at 23 upon the rotor shaft I2. The rotor 22 is fast with a casing which forms the external shell 2401' the first part of the compressor carrying sets of blades 25 which coact with sets of blades 26 mounted to rotate.

with the rotor shaft l2. 7

With regard to the compressor (which, it will be understood, is illustrated as taking'one particular formythough it may obviously take many other forms), the three parts into which it is divided, each part comprising several rows of blades, operate at different speeds such that the relative blade speed increases progressively from the inlet end to the outlet end. Thus, the sets of blades 25, 26 of the first part rotate in-the same direction, those 26 on the rotor rotating at a high speed and those 25 on the casing 24 at a slow speed, In the intermediate section the blades 2| rotate in the opposite direction to the blades I9 on the shell I6, which latter rotates at medium pace. In the third sectionthe blades I4, I5 rotate in the opposite direction, the blades I4 at a very much greater speed than the blades I5 on the shell I6. Thus, the relative speed in the first section at the inlet end is that of a fast-moving portion minus a slow-moving portion. In the second section it is that of a medium-movin-g portion plus a slow-moving portion.

In the third section it is that of a mediummoving portion plus a fast-moving portion.

In the present instance, for augmenting the thrust, we provide sets of external blades 28 on the rotating shell I6 to coact with sets of blades 29 on the stationary casing II, and we arrange for the torque reaction imposed upon the casing II by the jet augmenter (28, 29) to be counteracted by the discharge from the turbine. For this purpose we mount upon the stationary casing II a diffuser 3| having outlets 32 for the turbine exhaust which are inclined as shown.

For starting it is desirable to hold the rotating shell I6 stationary, and one way of achieving this is to provide the 'shell with a ratchet tooth 34, which oanbe engaged .by a pawl 35. The latter is connected with a diaphragm 35 to which the pressure generated by the jet augmenter (28, 29) is applied, being pressed in the one direction by a spring 31. Thus, in starting, the pawl engages the ratchet tooth and holds the shell I6 against rotation. As soon as combustion occurs and the turbine begins to drive, the shell It will revolve in the other direction, whereupon the-pressure generated by the compressor (28, 29) acting upon 'the diaphragm 38 will move the pawl 35 to an cated at 44 and the parts are circumferentially positioned relatively to the ratchet teeth 34 to A ensure alignment when the shell I6 is stationary. At 46 there is shown a centrifugally-acting valve which is biassed by a springto the open position shown to yent the first part of the com- "pressor, the valveclosing automatically as the;

rotational speed 01 the unit increases.

. Thus, in the construction of Figures 1 to 3 the- 1 shell l6 rotates in-the opposite direction to that in which the compressor blades (withinthe interior of the shell) rotate.

Primary air for combustion purposes-is ledin'at'a number of. angularly-spacedpassages oi which only one,84,- is shown in the drawing. This primary air is reversed in direction, and -in the' annular chamber 85 it is mixed with the injected fuel, and combustion takes place' in the annular number of angularly-spaced outlet passages 81 which'reverse'the direction of the burning mixture, and in whichthe rest of theair is mixed for diluent purposes, the mixture then passing to the turbine. I

In the construction of Figure 4 thereis a sta-v tionary casing 50 carrying internally stationary augmenter blades 5| withwhich'coact compressor blades 52 carried externally of-a rotatable shell '53, the coacting blades 5|, 5! compressing air and delivering it along,'the passage 54 to mingle I with the jetdelivered along the passage 55 from the turbine. The shell 53 carries internally sets of turbine blades 55, 56, which coact' with turbine tates. The rotor 58 also carries externally compressor blades 59 coacting with compressor blades and meanslror substantially balancing the torque reaction on saidstationary-casing; said means ineluding stationary blades coacting with said turbine blades first mentioned.

2. In an intemal-combustion turbine, jet-propulsion unit, fluid admission means, jet creating means, a shell carrying internally some of the turbine blades, a rotor carrying turbine blades within the shell, said shell and rotor rotating in opposite directions, blades carriedexternally by.

the shell, stationary blades coacting with said external blades, a stationary casing carrying said stationary blades, said casing shaped'to direct the air compressed by said coacting external and stationary blades to mingle with the turbine exhaust issuing as a jet from said means, whereby .to augment the jet, and means for substantially balancing the torque reaction on said stationary casing, said means including stationary blades directly coacting with said turbine b'ladesfirst mentioned.

3. In an intemal-combustion turbine, jetf propulsion unit, fluid admission means, jet creating means, a shell carrying internally some of the turbine blades, a rotor carrying compressor blades within the shell, said shell and rotor rotating in opposite'directions, blades carried externally by the shell, stationary blades coacting with said extemal blades, a stationary casing carrying said blades 5Tfast on a'rotor' 58 rotating in the oppo-- site direction tothat in which the shell 53' roternal blades, a stationary casing carrying said stationary blades, said casing shaped to directthe air compressed by said coacting external and'stationary blades to mingle with the turbine exhaust issuing a propulsion jet from said means,

whereby to augment the jet, and means for subs stantially balancing the torque reaction onsaid stationary casing, said means-including station- .ary blades coacting with said turbine blades first mentioned. I v

4. In an internal-combustion turbine, jet-pro.-

'pulsion unit, fluid admission means, jet creating means, a shell carrying internally some of the turbine blades and some of the compressor blades,

a rotor carrying turbine andcompressor blades stationary blades, said casing shaped to direct the air compressed by said coacting external and stationary blades to augment the jet constituted by the turbine exhaust and issuing from said means, andmeans for substantially balancing the torque reaction on said stationary casing, said show band s BZunitin'g the tips of the augmenter blades 52 in each row. i v

In the embodiments of Figs. 1 and 4, fuel is supplied to the combustion chambers ,43 and 63 respectively by, means of nozzles a and fuel sup, ply pipes 11.. v What we claim as our invention and desire to secureby Letters Patent of .the United States is:

I. In an internal-combustion turbine, jet-propulsi'on unit, fluid admission means, jet creating means, a shell carrying internally some of the turbine blades, a rotor carrying blades within the I shell, saidshell and rotor rotating in opposite directions, blades carried externally by the shell,

stationary blades coacting with said external blades, a stationary casing carryingisaid stationary hblades, said casing shaped to direct the air compressed bysaid coacting external and stationary blades to augment the jet constituted-by the turbine exhaustand issuing from said means,

means including stationary blades coactingwith said turbine blades first mentioned.

5. In an internal-combustion turbine, jet-propulsion unit, fluid admission means, jet creating.

means, a shell carrying internally some of the the pathof the turbine exhaust.

FRITZ ALBERT MAX HEPPNER. JOHN DENIS VOCE. 1

RHYS EVANS. 

